Without a doubt, 2018 has been the longest season of my life. From racing over 60m indoors to 200m and 400m outdoors at two championships around the world.

It all started with the Commonwealth Games in early April competing for Northern Ireland. Aiming to peak that early in the year was always going to be a big rush, but we managed to do it. I got faster in each round and won bronze in the 200m final.

Throughout my time racing in Australia, I was also managing a hip problem which was affecting the groin and hip flexor. Thankfully a cheeky mini break in Sydney aided my recovery, before a few races around Europe helped me to get back into things.

Competing at the British Championships was not in my plans initially, but I headed to Birmingham as they are always fast races, especially in the 200m at the moment.

I won my heat in a personal best 20.27 and finished in the final with 20.31, which was also an improvement on my previous best mark.

The focus then turned to the European Championships. I still had no country to run for and time was running out, while I waited to hear from the IAAF about my transfer to Ireland.

Two weeks later, and with the IAAF deadline getting closer, I still hadn’t had a meeting referring to my future.

Waiting and waiting for something to get sorted I went into the Irish National Championships blind, running in the 100m and 200m not knowing if I was going to the Europeans or not.

I won the 100m and 200m and had pencil stamped my flight to Berlin. Thankfully, a week after the nationals, and days away from the European Championships, I got a call to say that my transfer has been approved. It took immediate effect, which was awesome news and I was off to Berlin.

It felt like the first day at school

Berlin for me was a different one, with three days notice to fly out and compete for a new country among a new team, I felt like a new kid at a school not knowing many people.

The team staff were amazing. I felt included and they made sure I had everything I needed!

Once race day came, I was straight into the semi-finals of the 200m and with 30,000 people watching, including my mum, I went head to head against the world champion.

I ran well and he just dipped me on the line. It felt like things were going to plan, a good semi and into the final.. what could go wrong?

Well, a tight left hamstring popped up. Usually, these things go away after a good warmup and stretch but not this time. Some sort of nerve damage was coming from somewhere and I didn’t have a clue where.

Determined, I ran the 200m final with one leg, and although I finished seventh, I was annoyed because I couldn’t give 100%.

After Berlin, I needed a break, so I took four days off to get myself back together. The time also helped me de-stress mentally from the whole transfer situation over the last two and a half years.

Then boom back into racing in Sweden, followed by an outing in Croatia. I have one final race at the Great North City Games this weekend, racing over 150m, which will conclude an eventful season.

With everything that had been going on in my personal life and also athletic life, to make my first senior team and also my first senior final I’m pleased with how my season has turned out. But I am still hungry for so much more.

RELATED: A dream medal at the Commonwealth Games

Leon Reid features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2018’ and over the course of the year will share his running journey. You can read Leon’s previous posts here and further information about the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

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The post It was a long season… but a good one appeared first on Fast Running.

Over the last few weeks, thousands of runners, up and down the country, have stepped up their training to get themselves ready for spring marathons.

London and Manchester are the targets for most, but there are also some other great options abroad.

Manchester, which is my local, is one of the first marathons of the year, and it is very close to my heart after unexpected wins in 2012 and 2013.

I remember going to watch the event in the 1990s when I had just started running as a teenager. I never imagined that one day I would win it, let alone twice.

I did attempt the hat-trick of victories in 2014, but despite running a considerably faster time, my 2:19:07 was only good enough for fourth place.

The marathon really is a unique event though. If a 5k, 10k or cross country race goes wrong, you can attempt another one the following week, but that’s not the case with the marathon.

It’s also an event with so many variables. In the month’s before the race, your training can be perfect, but it can suddenly come apart because of a small thing you did incorrectly in the final stages of your build-up.

I was speaking to Laura Riches recently, who is another member of the Fast 10: class of 18, and she was full of questions ahead of her first marathon this Sunday in Manchester.

Following our conversation, I thought it would be worthwhile sharing my top tips from my years of running over the unforgiving distance.

1) Hydration

Yes, it sounds simple, but it’s essential to be well hydrated come race day. Make sure you have a bottle of water (or even better electrolyte drink) with you at all times in the days leading up to the race, and drink little and often. If you only drink when you’re thirsty you are already dehydrated!

In my first few marathons, I didn’t drink anything during the race. I took a lot of advice from Ron Hill, who is very old school and he told me you didn’t need to if you’ve hydrated well beforehand and only do if the temperatures are high during the race.

In warmer marathons, I tend to take a very small mouthful of water at every station and pour the remainder of the bottle over my neck and shoulders as these are the areas that body heat will rise towards.

2) Carb loading

There have been various schools of thought on carb loading, my advice would be if it is your first marathon, keep it simple and increase your percentage of carbohydrates from Thursday onwards (assuming a Sunday marathon).

I would advise going heavier on Thursday and Friday and avoiding overeating on Saturday to avoid feeling bloated.

I made that mistake once in Frankfurt. I was in great shape ahead of the race and was asked if I wanted to go to an Italian restaurant by a group of British runners. I had already eaten but thought why not, only to regret that decision come the next day.

For more experienced marathon runners or those looking for an edge, there is the depletion diet which carries some risk but can yield amazing results.

It basically involves a carb-free diet Monday through Wednesday before starting the loading, theoretically allowing your body to overcompensate and store more glycogen. I tried this for several marathons and it worked a dream for me every time – but remember everyone is different.

3) Sleep

It’s really important to familiarise your body with your wake up time for the marathon race day. Try to get your daily wake up time as close to it as possible for as many days as possible beforehand.

The same goes for your bedtime. Ensure you get a minimum of eight and ideally nine hours of sleep per night so you are well rested come race day.

4) The taper

There are so many different ways you can taper, but the important thing is to reduce your training volume on marathon race week to around 50% your peak training.

I recommend a short marathon paced run early on in the week, and some strides at the end of your runs a couple of times at the end of the week.

5) Warming up

When speaking to Laura, she wasn’t sure what to do for a warm-up on the day. There isn’t any need to run miles as the marathon is 26.2 miles and will not be starting at as frenetic a pace as a 5k or a 1500m race.

A mile very easy jogging with some pickups towards the end should be enough and the most important thing is to warm up early.

You will likely have a baggage drop to go to before you know it, as well as several stops to the toilet, due to nerves, being well hydrated and fueled.

Allow plenty of time to get to the start. There is nothing worse having completed all of your training, to then miss the start!

6) Breakfast

Laura also asked me about breakfast. Don’t try anything new on the day, and avoid anything that may give you toilet trouble. Jam on toast and cornflakes worked for me – simple, easy for the body to break down into fuel, and no stomach issues.

7) Gels

You will need some fuel during the marathon and the most popular option is energy gels. They can work wonders, but they can also send you to the toilet, so it’s really important to have practised taking them in training. Finally, do not use a brand of gel for the first time on race day.

My preferred option was the SIS caffeinated gels. I would take one after my warm-up, one at 10 miles and one at 16 miles. If gels don’t agree with you or you have not tried them in training, a less risky option is an energy chew.

Clif shot bloks are probably the most well-known brand, but it’s worth looking at the Honey Stinger organic energy chews too. Each chew is smaller and softer than a shot blok and much easier to process.

Honey is the main ingredient, and a benefit of honey over sugar is a lower GI, which should, in theory, provide a more sustained release of energy.

8) Clothing

You might be tempted to wear a brand new outfit or pair of trainers on the day, but don’t. It could result in disaster if you end up with blisters or chafing.

Stick to clothing and footwear you have used in training which you are comfortable with. Areas most prone to chafing are the groin, nipples and armpits. I prefer to put a plaster over each nipple the night before the marathon, and then cover the other areas in Bodyglide after my warm up.

Blisters are caused by a combination of friction and moisture, so ensure you are not only using shoes you have trained in and fit well, but also a quality running sock that fits well and has strong wicking properties.

9) Pacing

It’s too easy to get carried away with the moment and run your first mile far too fast. Starting too quickly can result in you depleting your glycogen reserves far too early which will lead to problems later on.

Decide on a realistic target finish time, and calculate the average pace per mile and stick to that pace.

To conclude, the best quote I ever read relating to the marathon, was from the Australian marathon runner Lee Troop: “patience first half, desire second half”. Remember that quote and it will really help.

Best of luck to everybody running a marathon this spring, I look forward to seeing some great performances.

Dave Norman is part of the ‘Fast 10 – class of 2018’ and this year will share his running journey every month. You can read Dave’s previous posts here and further information about the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post Dave Norman’s 9 tips for marathon success appeared first on Fast Running.

To say that March has been a let down would be a bit of an understatement.

After the National Cross Country Championships, training continued to go very well, nailing key sessions such as 30x 400m in 73’s (30 sec rec) and 6×6 min reps (2 min rec) at half marathon race pace, all combined with good hard runs and 100+ mile weeks.

My first snag was just plain bad luck, which most of us have had to deal with, as the weather conditions forced Bath Half Marathon to be cancelled.

This put to bed the pipe dream of qualifying for the World Half Marathon Championships. Still, I was determined to run a PB at Wilmslow on the 18th, only to go down with a fever and diarrhoea the week before it.

Thankfully, luck went in my favour this time, when it was cancelled and rescheduled for late June.

The illness had me floored for a good ten days and it was hard to manage anything more than a steady plod of a few miles here and there.

It’s always difficult when you’re pushing yourself in training; you’re pushing your body to the limit and there’s always an illness or an injury lurking.

In the 20+ marathons I’ve done over the years, I’d have to admit I’ve become a cropper in the build-up in almost half of them. The key is not to panic, as a rule, if I get ill or injured within two weeks of a marathon, I pull out and have had to do this on a couple of occasions; Berlin 2013 & Manchester 2014.

I once went ahead and raced when not feeling 100%, which was at Eindhoven nearly ten years ago; I failed to finish at 35k and it took me months to recover. I vowed never to make that mistake again.

Testing my fitness ahead of London

With this hiccup coming six weeks out and now leaving me with just four weeks of decent training after recovering, I was concerned about losing my fitness and the best way to find out would be competing in the Northern Road Relays.

Blackburn Harriers have been going from strength to strength in the past few years and we went into the competition with our strongest team yet and was also able to field a solid B team.

Though we’ve still got some way to go to be medal contenders, I was hopeful we might challenge the top five. We didn’t quite manage that, but we equalled our position of eighth from last year and was a mere 10 seconds away from seventh, so we’re certainly creeping up.

I decided not to time my run and just aimed to go as hard as I could and see where I ended up. I didn’t feel good and felt as though I laboured my way around, but I managed to make up a few places.

I later discovered that I ran quite a good time, so that’s certainly very encouraging after the two weeks I’ve had. I was only slightly slower than Tim Raynes, who’s been in fine form for our club and clinched the 10th fastest long leg of the day.

The commitment from the lads has been brilliant, with guys missing road races to turn out, or travelling 100’s of miles to be there, even after a big race, as was the case with Rob Warner. The relays are always a great day out and I’m looking forward to the Nationals in three weeks time, where hopefully I can do a bit more for the team by then.

Even though my road to London Marathon has resembled the M6 at rush hour, I still think I can achieve a decent time.

I’ve had some advice from Andrew Hobdell, who’s coaching/mentoring the On Running team and he’s been really helpful during this period, especially when the self-doubt can creep in when things aren’t going to plan. So it’s very much a case of “Keep Calm and Carry On!”

Ben Fish is part of the ‘class of 2018’ and this year will share his running journey every month. You can read Ben’s previous posts here and further information about the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post The challenge of avoiding illness and injury appeared first on Fast Running.

They always say you should start off any piece of writing with an important fact or funny story to draw the reader in (something I learnt whilst completing my English masters in the US, which until now I’ve never actually used).

So I’ll start with my funniest yet most mortifying incident this month… to cut it short, on Friday whilst out running before work, I slipped on some mud and landed right on a giant mound of dog poo.

After trying to clean myself off by leaning in the canal, and throwing water at myself, whilst dog walkers, runners and cyclists looked in disgust as they went by, I then had to walk back into school, with said dog dirt on me, and explain why I stunk like a skunk. It was certainly not my finest hour.

Anyway, now that you are drawn in, I’ll go on to my main topic. Is running an addiction?

A question I’ve not really ever considered until recently. I’m two weeks out for my first marathon, a time when I should be dropping the miles and taking it easy, something which six weeks ago I was sure I would relish.

I was praying for those weeks where I didn’t feel like something out of the walking dead, and didn’t shuffle around work on a Monday morning, with many of the kids asking me what was wrong. 

Yet, I can’t stop.

I feel guilty if I don’t run that extra 0.1 of a mile to round-up the mileage at the end of a run, if I don’t quite hit eight miles in a Tuesday night session. And if I race on a Sunday, surely my cooldown has to be seven miles plus.

 But is this just a love for running, or am I addicted?

I guess I’ll revert back to two weeks ago, the weekend of the Inter-Counties cross country championship, but also the weekend of my first 20-mile long run. It was also an important game in my club’s rugby season.

Anyone in the right mind would have considered the volume of an 8k XC, a 20-mile run and an 80 minute game of rugby and realised that that is way too much.

But in my head, I had planned to run 20 miles on the 11th March, and so I must run 20 miles on the 11th March. Is this an addiction or just pure insanity?

It wasn’t until then when I started to question it, people thought I was mad, but then I thought “they just aren’t runners, they don’t understand”. 

Has marathon training made me mad, has running 90 miles a week become what my body needs? I really don’t know.

However, what I do know, is that anyone in the right mind, would acknowledge a cancelled race due to snow, as a day to take an easy run, preferably inside and sit by the fire.

But not for the majority of Leigh Harriers, who ran through snow and wind storms, through thick snow and minus degree temperatures, and the men of Leigh didn’t go easy on me, we didn’t even question it. It was Sunday, so of course, we ran. And of course, we ran 20+ miles.

Normal behaviour for a runner, or are we all addicted?

My mum said something once about running being as bad for you as cannabis or other drugs – a statement often used on Christmas Day when we insist on going for a run. As you have a need for it, and it makes you happy, it gives you a high which you feel you ‘need’ to survive.

But is it something you must have and need? Maybe she is right, maybe running does make us happy, it relieves our stress, it keeps us on a daily high, until we ‘need’ to run again.

It has certainly been tricky to take my foot off the accelerator and ease down this past week. Even other runners telling me I’m mad. But I’m still itching to run, to do that post-race shake out, to do those extra-long post-race cooldowns. I have no doubt these next two weeks will be the hardest yet.

Would time off running through injury be harder than not going for that extra run? Surely it is, so maybe listening to my body now is the thing to do, before falling into that trap, as so many runners have, and I previously have myself.

That is my biggest challenge, and is one of the biggest challenges for many, no matter what age or level of experience you have.

Take my dad, for example, he will change anything with his weekends… as long as he can fit a run in.

So is running an addiction, is it my addiction?

Well, I seem to lack the ability to stop and take it easy / reduce the volume, so I guess the answer is yes!

But here’s to two weeks of people restraining me, telling me not to run, and hopefully feeling fresh on the start line in a fortnight. After completing a 25-mile run last week surely I’m ready, right?

Additionally, just a shout out to our club (photo above) who had a great day out at the Northern Road Relays at Birkenhead Park at the weekend. Despite two of our team missing the start of their legs, we were still smiling with a shiny seventh-place finish.

Safe to say the speed of a 2.3-mile race doesn’t feel nice after a big week of training.

So finish off how I started this article… last night my phone died two miles into my 15 miles run home from work, and I ended up spending almost two hours lost somewhere between Trafford and Worsley. My life is ridiculous!

Laura Riches is part of the ‘class of 2018’ and this year will share her running journey every month. You can read Laura’s previous posts here and further information about the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post Am I addicted to running? appeared first on Fast Running.

It meant so much to retain by two Irish national indoor titles on the 18th February, especially after missing out on the chance to compete for the national outdoors due to my (still ongoing) transfer fiasco.

On the way to my achievements in Abbotstown, there were a few hiccups and a few idiots – to say the least.

My name was not put into the system to compete, my times were given to other athletes, I was not entered into the final, and not forgetting dodgy lane draws throughout the competition.

But that didn’t stop me.

I am the sort of person who takes the knocks and just moves forward, but, the behaviour that I experienced from some fellow athletes, no one should have to deal with.

This included spitting and shoulder barging before some of the races, which is really embarrassing and very immature on their part.

I have competed for Northern Ireland for years, and despite doing my utmost so I can represent Ireland, it is if I am viewed as ‘not Irish enough’ to compete for our country.

With my transfer from Great Britain to Ireland still not resolved, there has been positive and negative feedback, but looking at a bigger picture think how good we could be as a collective team – 4x100m team – 4x400m team.

But, hey, I am a high-level athlete and you cannot let these things get to you. I’m still smiling, and by overcoming every obstacle it just makes crossing the line first even sweeter.

I personally think some think I’m trying to take the number one spot in Ireland but I honestly couldn’t care about the ranking system, I want to put myself and Ireland in the same position as the rest of the world no matter the size of the country.

Back to the high points

People always ask me how I manage to keep going and even run PB’s in the finals after five or six races over a weekend. This all comes down to my training. We train for rounds, not just for one good race but a collection of good performances.

A thorough warm-up is very important, as is being diligent after rounds, whether that’s stretching or being seen to by a physio.

Being indoors, with a lack of air and a lot of bodies makes it dry and hot, so keeping hydrated is also obviously essential.

The next adventure

Fast forward a week and I am sat on a 7-hour flight to Dubai.

I was lucky to be asked by the ‘Athletes in schools’ initiative to come out to this part of the world and help coach some young aspiring athletes from the tender age of five all the way up to 17.

It’s a great initiative to get more kids interested in sport and after the input of the athletes hopefully have been inspired in some way. And not just in athletics, but if I can pass on anything to them it is to work hard and not give up even when something doesn’t go your way.

After the period coaching it was down to my own training ahead of the Commonwealth Games. I had a period training at Nad Al Sheeba sports complex which is owned by the crown prince of Dubai. This facility is out of access to the general public and you cannot enter unless you have permission from the highest.

30-degree heat at 10am is not ideal but it’s perfect practice for Australia, so no complaining here.

Recovery was no issue at NAS as they have the best cryotherapy lab in the world, as well as indoor and outdoor ice plunge pools, underwater treadmills, magnesium baths and so much more.

You think of it, they have it. Put it this way, their tech is so far advanced that they don’t even use the game ready compression things anymore. They have tech that we most likely won’t see in the UK and Ireland for another four years.

After that good block of training and I have now made my way to Australia’s Gold Coast and meet up with the whole Northern Ireland team. To say I can’t wait to compete in my third Commonwealth Games, is an understatement, I’m excited, I feel like I am in the best shape of my life and I can’t wait to get out there and race.

Thanks for reading and I’ll let you know how I get down under in my next post.

Leon Reid is part of the ‘class of 2018’ and this year will share his running journey every month. You can read Leon’s previous posts here and further information about the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post You can knock me… but I’m still smiling appeared first on Fast Running.

Gulp! Did you hear that? That sharp intake of breath is me realising it is just 11 weeks until the 24 hour European Championships. Not because I am worried about where I am in my training or preparation. It’s more a reaction to how quickly time is moving.

And that is an age thing right? As you get older time flies. That’s the feeling some folks have. Of course, that ain’t true.

Seconds are seconds, minutes are minutes and EastEnders still feels like an hour long but is only 30 minutes when you watch it.

What causes this phenomenon for some is the accumulation of milestones and as you get older, there’s more of a history to influence the perception of the future.

Like, the other day when She Sells Sanctuary came on shuffle and I realised that it was 33 years old. That’s older than almost every other ‘class of 2018’ member!

I guess what I am saying is She Sells Sanctuary makes me feel as if time is passing quicker. I am 42 in April – I know I only look about 39 – and age is something I am acutely aware of in training and competition.

The last month has been about consolidation of winter training gains. I’ve actually lost a few sessions this week to a cold, which has been unfortunate timing but it has helped me rehab some tightness.

So, while I am running fewer miles and intensity is less, I am able to put that time towards some MOT work, which is always useful and shows the need to work on what you can when you can.

I’ve definitely benefited from it and shares in Kleenex might have rocketed this week due to my use.

The irony is, I ran outside in all of the cold, snow, and awful conditions the ‘beast from the east’ brought, and then I fell foul of the cold after a 33-mile indoor treadmill run!

Marginal gains

A key activity in the last month was undergoing some proper performance testing for the first time ever.

I mentioned my age earlier and it was about seeing where I am currently and to start to seek out potential marginal gains that I can shoot for over the next few years.

These days I use my fast twitch fibres most when I wake up in the middle of the night needing a pee. I reckon I could skittle Usain Bolt out of the way if I had to at 3am.

In the test room, Seamus wired me up to all sorts of paraphernalia with screens twitching and bleeping at me. There were red graphs, blue graphs and box plots.

Meanwhile, the mask made me sound like Bane from Batman and it was all I could do not to call Bruce Wayne out for a square go. Luckily for the Billionaire playboy, I was too preoccupied with an increasing pace and gradient to fight.

The information presented was fascinating. It reinforced a lot of what I already knew. Which is more reassuring than you can imagine.

But it gave insight into a few areas I will work on with Coach Paul and hopefully help give us an edge in Romania. I go back in May before the Champs and I am already thinking about what I can do to turn the dial on a couple of areas.

At my age, it is not always about improvement but can just be about arresting the inexorable decline that the years bring to the body.

The wear, the tear and the ageing. The bastard organic inevitability of it all. I’ve laughter lines even when I frown now. Yet, it’s no stress. It is only another consideration and opportunity.

Too much information can be a bad thing, paralysis through analysis as the saying goes. But in my case, I truly believe this could be the most valuable insight I get this year.

James Stewart is part of the ‘fast runners: class of 2018’ and this year will share his running journey every month. You can find out more about James here and further information on the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post Every moment count when you are an ‘older’ runner appeared first on Fast Running.

The month of February is always a pretty manic month for me, but this year more so than usual. Many of you reading this will be aware that I organise the Trafford 10k, a race that I first started organising way back in 1999.

When I first took on the task of organising the race, it was a very low key event with 100 or so runners from the local area taking part, but each year it’s got bigger and better and now attracts runners from every county in the UK and internationals from all over Europe.

This hasn’t happened by accident, a huge amount of hard work has gone in promoting and developing the race each year, and February is now always a huge juggling act balancing full-time work, organising the race and my own training.

This year was always going to be even more of a challenge. I started a new job in January working for Run North West, as the buyer and store manager for their first retail store, and it was decided that the opening date for the store would be nine days before the Trafford 10k.

Two weeks before the shop was due to open, we had an empty building with no fixtures and fittings, no stock ordered and still needed to interview for staff. This was going to be a tough few weeks!

Finding the balance

Balancing the demands of training, working, family life and other things that are important to us is one of the biggest challenges for a runner.

When there are so many demands on our time and energy, it is inevitable that something will have to give. This might be sleep, it might be taking time to cook and eat well, it might be spending less time with your family and friends or less time training.

In my case, it ended up being a combination of all of the above!

I’d seen great progress with my training and racing throughout December and January, and I was keen to keep that momentum going, but I knew it was going to be very difficult given the circumstances.

You are never too old to learn

One of the things I think had made a massive difference in my progression over the last two months was an improvement in lifestyle.

I’d been sleeping really well, eating better than I’d ever eaten before and foam rolling on a daily basis. These were all things I’d paid little attention to previously, even at my best, and I was surprised just how much better I felt by focussing on this attention to detail.

It left me wondering whether I could have some faster PBs if I’d paid a bit more attention to these things when I was running at my best!

My recent racing

I took part in three races in February. First up was the final race in the Manchester Cross Country League. It was a very late decision to take part as I had planned to run the Armagh 5k five days later, however, Armagh was looking very unlikely due to the timing of the shop opening.

The great thing about the League this winter has been tracking my progress on my return from injury. Having finished 26th and 13th in the previous two matches, I was keen to get myself into the top 10. Although I finished 7th, I was hugely frustrated after falling heavily on lap 2 while clear in 5th place and only losing 5th place in the closing stages.

It felt strange to come away with my best position of the season and feel the most frustrated I’ve felt all season, but as you get fitter, your standards and expectations definitely go up!

It was one day later when it became apparent I would actually be able to go to Armagh. I hadn’t raced on the roads since tearing my calf in September, apart from a 17:11 parkrun in November when my fitness was at an all-time low, so I was feeling rather apprehensive.

Most of my cross country races had been outside 6 minutes per mile pace and here I was going to attempt to run faster than 5 minutes per mile!

It didn’t help that I’d been working around the clock to make sure everything was in place with both the shop and the race to allow me to travel and I hadn’t run a step for two whole days. I was also feeling run down and like a big dose of the flu was about to hit me, however having a day to relax in the hotel before the race did my body the world of good and really sorted me out.

I was therefore pretty pleased with my time of 15:25, especially as I finished feeling like there was a lot more in the tank and gave me the belief that when I line up there next year in the V40 age group, I could potentially run sub 15 minutes again.

The best race of all

Onto the National, which is always a special race for me as I haven’t missed one since 1997. I finished in 156th place which I didn’t feel was a reflection of current fitness, but was a good reflection of how running had taken a bit of a step down the priority list over the previous two weeks.

It only served to highlight further just how important sleep, diet and consistent training are because all three had been impacted by the previous week or two.

As it so happened, this year’s Trafford 10k never even happened! A spell of freak weather meant that we had to cancel the race, which was incredibly disappointing after a lot of hard work.

Things are starting to settle down now and my aim for the next few weeks is to return to where I was a few weeks ago. Consistent training, good quality sleeping routine, taking the time to prepare fresh home cooked food as much as possible and have a healthy balance between work, training, and other commitments.

The key to this will be time management and planning and preparation.

Thanks for reading.

Dave Norman is part of the ‘fast runners: class of 2018’ and this year will share his running journey every month. You can find out more about Dave here and further information on the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post Is it possible to find the right balance? appeared first on Fast Running.

The month started with the Blackburn Winter Warmer 10k, which is a hilly course which starts and finishes on the track at Witton Park. Myself, club-mate Tim Raynes and Danny Collinge occupied the top three places last year and a similar battle unfolded on this occasion.

I carved out a small lead at around the 6-7 kilometre and went on to finish the race in 31:58, four seconds faster than my time last year and about 30 seconds ahead of Tim, who also improved on his previous time. Collinge came in third, completing a repeat of the 2017 race.

Solid block of training

The next three weeks were all about getting down to the nitty gritty as far as the training was concerned. I can’t wait for the evenings to get lighter though, as I’ve found it a right pain in the ass running back home after work with the headtorch; I just never seem to be able to run quite as fast in the dark and it’s made tempo runs and interval sessions a bit trickier.

It’s also been an important month with the On Ambassador team; we had our inaugural meeting on the 18th February down in Loughborough. We got to learn a bit more about the On Running brand and had a talk through what type of gear would suit us for training, marathon racing and shorter distance racing.

Andrew Hobdell, one UK’s top distance coaches, also provided a question and answer session about the marathon, which was very informative and I’m sure all of us came away from the day having learned quite a lot.

It was a pleasant day and pretty good for a nice ride down on my Royal Enfield motorbike, though it soon turned nasty on the way back; I suppose it’s typical for it to start raining heavier the further North you get.

Racing

The next weekend has been one I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. At Blackburn Harriers, we’ve had the National XC race at Parliament Hill pencilled in for a number of months.

We wanted to make it a memorable weekend, spending a couple of days in the capital with good camaraderie and hard racing, just what being in a running club should be about – as far as I’m concerned.

It would be a tad busier for myself, as I also agreed to compete for the On Team the following day at Thorpe Park Half Marathon. It would be a good test, racing on tired legs and good preparation for the marathon in April.

I had a slight snag earlier in the week when I fell on a bit of icy road and bashed my right hip, which bruised quite a bit. Thankfully I already nailed a couple of decent speed sessions on Monday and Tuesday, so it was just a case of plodding about for a few days to loosen it off, which just about did the trick.

The National

Conditions were good for the National on Saturday, it was cold, but nice and sunny, it was also pretty good underfoot, which was certainly a plus for a “roadie” like myself!

There’s something magical about this race, even more so when it’s at the iconic Parliament Hill course, were so many greats of yesteryear have graced those muddy fields. We were off at 3pm charging up Parliament Hill, except I didn’t really “charge” and set off like I was in a half marathon and found myself well down the pack in the early stages.

Having ran here a few times over the years I ought to have known better, but as there was still the best part of 12k to run, I just focused on being patient and worked my way through. Gradually I kept clawing my way through the field and I was surprised at how good I felt, I kept hearing spectators shouting out rough positions to the runners and I was getting closer to that coveted top 50.

In the last mile or so I managed to pass Salford’s Carl Hardman, who I knew must be around the positions I was aiming for. The finish is always rapid at Parliament Hill and with it being good under-foot it was even more so.

I managed to pass Gary Priestley and as with the Lancashire Championships, I was a mere second or so ahead on the line. My final position was 48th, which I was thrilled with, having seemingly veered into obscurity over recent years at cross country.

Most pleasing however, was Blackburn Harriers being the 22nd team, which is a huge step forward for us. We were spearheaded by a superb run from Rob Warner in 27th, with Tim Raynes and Jack Hindle also well up in 101st & 153rd places. Matt Nuttall, team manager “Captain” Guinan and coach John Chaplin backed up what was a great effort from the club. I did find it quite odd that we were the only Lancashire club with a complete men’s team though.

Racing again the next morning

On Sunday morning it was the Thorpe Park Half Marathon, where I competing with fellow On Ambassadors, Kojo Kyereme and Russell Bentley (who also raced at the National). Despite the early start at 9am, I felt quite good, which was just as well, as Kojo set off at quite a lick, covering the first mile just outside of five minutes.

I managed to keep with him for the first few miles and was able to open up a small lead of about ten seconds by five miles, which I reached in 25:38. The course slows a bit at around halfway as there’s a bit of a hill, but despite slowing a bit, I still felt like I was making good progress.

I reached 10 miles just outside 52 minutes, but a bit of stiffness from the previous day was starting to creep in and despite the course being flat in those last few miles, I wasn’t able to increase the pace.

I crossed the line in 69:06, just over a minute ahead of Kojo, who’s come back from a long layoff, so that’s certainly a promising result, especially given the windy conditions.

Russell Bentley made it an On-Running podium, with a solid effort for third despite having to contend with hamstring issues after the National.

All in all, it’s been a good weekend of racing and a decent month of training, the next aim is Bath Half Marathon on Sunday 4th March.

Here’s my training for the past three weeks:

SUN 4th FEB
11am: Blackburn 10k: 1st 31:58. 12.5 miles total.
MON 5th
8am: 9.5 miles to work in 63 mins
6pm: 10 miles home in 69:30
TUE 6th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work in 63:40.
6pm: Track – 8x 1km (2 min rec) 3:01, 3:02, 2:59, 2:58, 2:58, 2:58, 2:58. Hard going. 9.5 miles total.
WED 7th
4:30pm: 6 miles in 42:50
THUR 8th
REST
FRI 9th
12:45pm: 20 miles in 1hr 54:14. Decent pace, around 5:45 average.
SAT 10th
8:30am: 9.5 miles to work in 63:55
5:45pm: 14 miles to Darwen with 5x 6 min reps (2 min rec) thrown in. 1hr 31:20
TOTAL: 100.5

Week 2

SUN 11th
9:15am: 9.5 mile in 67 mins, a bit slow.
4:45pm: 10.5 miles home via Bashall Eaves in 70:25.
MON 12th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work in 65:08
5:45pm: 10.5 miles home via Bashall Eaves in 74:45.
TUE 13th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work in 63:45.
6pm: Track – 12x 600m (90 sec rec) 1:45, 1:44, 1:44, 1:44, 1:44, 1:43, 1:45, 1:44, 1:44, 1:44, 1:45, 1:42. 9.5 miles total.
WED 14th
5pm: 8.5 miles easy
THUR 15th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work with last 5 miles run hard. 57:41.
7pm: 3.5 miles with the Run Group from the shop.
FRI 16th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work in 61:49
5:45pm: Session: 12x 2 min reps (1 min rec) on way home, hilly terrain. 10.5 miles. Paces as follows: 4:49, 5:06, 5:19, 5:09, 5:09, 4:53, 4:56, 4:39, 4:56, 4:56, 4:52, 5:21.
SAT 17th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work in 63:55.
TOTAL: 110

Week 3

SUN 18th
MISSED – Long day travelling.
MON 19th
8:15am: 9.5 miles to work in 59:50.
4pm: Session: 6x 6 min reps (2 min rec). Paces: 4:58, 4:55, 4:57, 5:00, 5:01, 4:57. 11 miles total.
TUE 20th
9am: 4 miles in 25:30.
6pm: Track: 6x 1200m (2 min rec): 3:32, 3:32, 3:31, 3:31, 3:33, 3:32. 8.5 miles total.
WED 21st
7am: 11 miles to work, very slow. Around 85 minutes, right hip very stiff after fall.
THUR 22nd
8:45am: 3 miles to Chipping in 24:15, struggling.
5:30pm: 10 miles home in 79:22, slightly better. Still haven’t got full range of movement.
FRI 23rd
Easy day, travelled to London with Blackburn Harriers for the National. 3 pm: 6.5 miles with the lads at 7:40-ish pace. Hip feels ok.
SAT 24th
8am: 3 miles easy around Green Park in around 23 minutes.
3pm: National XC at Parliament Hill, 48th, team 22nd. 11 miles total.
TOTAL: 77.5
Following morning on Sunday 25th, I did Thorpe Park Half in 69:06 for 1st place.

Ben Fish is part of the ‘fast runners: class of 2018’ and this year will share his running journey every month. You can find out more about Ben here and further information on the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

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I have always loved running on New Year’s Day because it feels like a fresh start. However, I haven’t run on New Year’s Day since 2016.

This year my New Year’s Day run happened in February, and over the month I’ve progressed to running my highest mileage of 2018 last week.

It’s been a relatively busy month at university and I’ve been working hard to complete my laboratory work for my degree in food science and nutrition.

I have also been applying for some post-graduate opportunities for September which I am very excited about. Thankfully I was able to take a few weekends off work in the coffee shop to allow me to complete my assignments and do a little bit of running.

Bone health has currently been a hot topic in the athletics world and I finally took the plunge and booked an appointment with an orthopaedic consultant.

I have been putting this off, but with a number of bone-stress related injuries in the last year, I wanted to investigate.

I had a series of blood tests and a DEXA scan which haven’t thrown up anything awful. One of the vertebrae (L4) in my back has a low density, which is not expected of someone who has done an impact sport their whole life.

But this is not something I necessarily need to worry about now. So I will continue with a calcium and vitamin D supplement protocol and be re-tested in two years time.

Baby steps

I am trying to take the next few weeks slowly. Both in the pace and progression of my runs. For the past six months when I have been returning to fitness I don’t wear a running watch that shows pace. I don’t even wear or look at a watch when I’m running with my boyfriend Johnny or my dad/coach Mark.

I do however have to resist the urge to ask “how long has it been” after 5 minutes. In some ways relinquishing this control has really helped mentally returning to running and maintaining a healthy relationship with exercise in general.

I am not obsessing about how fast or how long I am running for. I can focus on the important aspects, getting out there and enjoying what I am doing.

While I would normally run with a heart rate monitor for tempo and recovery runs, based on data from lactate and V02 max testing. I am trying to listen to my body and become more in tune with myself. However, I do plan to start wearing a watch and monitoring heart rate once I progress with training.

I have had to begin this process with baby steps. I have no idea what my goals are for this year. But I know this is the start of an adventure of longer strides.

Katie Kirk is part of the ‘fast runners: class of 2018’ and this year will share her running journey every month. You can find out more about Katie here and further information on the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

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I wasn’t really sure where to go with my second blog as it’s been a rather calm February, despite my recent trip to Prague where I succumbed to food poisoning.

That really hampered my chances of getting any of the Strava segments – which was a real bummer! But I won’t go into detail on that one.

There was one thing however that’s been at the back of my mind for a while, so I guess what better way to share it, than through one of my monthly ‘class of 2018’ blogs.

It is to do with the perceived body image of a distance runner.

Interesting topic I’d say, and something which is rarely mentioned, by well, anyone.

What should a distance runner look like?

Well, I guess you can take a look at a large majority of runners who toe the line at any of the national events around the country, and almost everyone looks similar. Usually tall, thin and even thinner, right? But is this what we should look to mirror?

Since the age of about 15, I can count numerous occasions where I’ve been told I’m too big to be a distance runner, “you don’t look like the other runners”.

If I actually gave a damn about what people thought about me it would have really hampered my life.. sending me down a terrible path that many people go down.

For me, it’s never been a big issue, and by no means have I ever considered myself to be fat or overweight because I’m not.

But recently I was watching an event in Edinburgh, and I overheard a number of people discussing a girl competing for her country as “too big”. This athlete was placed high up the race too.

How can you look at someone running at the highest level and comment on the way she looks rather than how amazingly she is doing in a race of such a high calibre?

Society and culture

It was then I realised that society is in fact at the root cause of so many problems for female distances runners all over the world.

I’m not going to hide the fact that at times it bothered me when I stood alongside girls who looked so different to me. But I’ve also seen these girls go from healthy and strong, to ill and fragile, in such short periods of time.

You have to question if the constant comments in magazines and from coaches are causing these girls to question themselves and the way they look.

We all know that if you are at race weight or slightly lighter than normal you run ‘slightly’ faster. But it’s not sustainable for long and again we have seen this year after year with so many different athletes facing problems.

I have seen so many go through eating problems in my time as an athlete in the UK and the US and you can understand how easy it is to be influenced by the words of people who we trust, value and want to impress.

But as athletes – and well adults – we are able to make our own decisions. We aren’t stupid and we know you have to fuel your car with petrol, a phrase I’ve often heard said to so many.

I have no doubt that people close to me have been affected by what they have heard, been told, or perceive to be the right way to look, whether a distance runner or not. It’s awful to see.

It’s a culture that female distance running has sunk into, and especially one lived and breathed by so many distance programs and groups around the world. One that is VERY HARD to avoid.

I’ve experienced first hand what it feels like to be questioned not just by coaches, but by athletes who I believe become/became brainwashed by a coach who had an ideal image for EVERY female distance runner.

This ideal is not sustainable for every athlete, as every individual is an individual.

I think it’s important to highlight, that people need to take care with the words they use, not just directly to all athletes, but when having any conversation about individual female athletes. People often hear indirectly and react to this!

To anyone who reads this, it is okay to be exactly who you are. If you feel healthy in your body then why does it matter if you stand next to someone on the start line who’s much smaller than you?

Ignore what you hear. If any coach or person says you are too big, IGNORE them. It’s something I learnt to do in the states, and thankfully I made it without any issues, but so many do not! Also, think before you speak.

My goals for this year

Anyway, I am still on track for a sub 3-hour marathon, despite “not being the build for a marathoner” – what a load of rubbish!

I completed my first 90-mile week a fortnight ago and I felt amazing, well until the Monday.

Still a bit of work to do but it all seems to be going well, and 18 miles feels good at just sub seven-minute pace, so it’s not much further right?! I should probably actually enter the marathon now it’s getting a bit closer though, haha oops!

Cheers for now.

Laura Riches is part of the ‘fast runners: class of 2018’ and this year will share her running journey every month. You can find out more about Laura here and further information on the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

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